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April 17, 2011

Los Angeles, CA Okay, so the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA is not technically in the Orange County, but everybody who's anybody was at this monster of an event! And you have to believe that OC Art Blog Followers were not going to miss out on this "members only" premiere. Art in The Streets is a huge milestone for street art as a whole, and for Los Angeles street art specifically. This event will go down in history. The first giant museum exhibit of street art from beginning to end. The exhibition covered the history of the art movement, from the giant graffiti lettering on trains with Cornbread, and leading as far down the road as Zephyr surfboards and skateboard art, and even to Barry McGee, Shepard Fairey and the infamous Banksy.

The show has been surrounded by controversial issues that I will not go into detail about at this particular point in time, but its safe to say this exhibit leaves the viewer asking all kinds of questions. The curatorial decisions were interesting and make me wonder the specific motives for certain choices. The installations were over the top, eye-catching, fun-house-like mazes and dioramas. The installations housed some animatronic sculptures which lacked any unique inventiveness as robotic creations, they simply did as they were expected to do - spray paint on a wall. But the dollhouse-like set up for the majority of the exhibit was powerful and definitely helped lead the crowds through one particular route.

The artists represented in this exhibit were mainly heavy-hitting graffiti artists alongside some typographic vandals, cut-out artists, a couple stencilers, and very few wheat-pasters. The RVCA influence via Aaron Rose was so prominent that I felt it might have hindered the overall coverage of street art as a whole. RVCA and Aaron Rose specifically are known for representing what they call the "Beautiful Losers" group (Aaron Rose made a documentary about such a group entitled Beautiful Losers). Almost all of the beautiful losers were exhibited in interesting, large installations, even with post-humus artist, Margaret Killgallen.

The bookstore/gift shop had a line that wrapped around the corner and every person walking out of there had stacks of books in hand, and as a museum-goer you did have to exit just next to - and not "through the gift shop", which was a well thought out decision on Deitch's part. The project as a whole was a huge success, the thousands of people entering and paying $25 per head (if you were not a MOCA member) were eager to be a part of this historic event. As the director for MOCA, Jeffrey Deitch had a hard task on his hand... How do you take street art off the street and display it in a museum setting? AND on top of that... How do you incorporate all aspects and avenues of street art into one exhibit? Jeffrey Deitch was quoted in the Huffington Post saying, "If you harness your talent you can be in a museum some day, make a contribution and a living from it." With recent graffiti and vandalism spikes in the areas surrounding MOCA, Deitch also invites residents that receive these unsanctioned artworks on their private property to keep them safe, as the artist might be the next "Banksy". Deitch is known for promoting and representing street artists in his gallery setting, but his choices for artists for this particular exhibit are curious. Very few contemporary STREET ARTISTS in Los Angeles were represented, specifically our well known wheat-pasters, cut-outs, and sticker crews here in L.A. The exhibit focused mostly on the big earners in the street-art-gallery realm, not the street itself. The historical balance was present, which is very important to understanding the movement as a whole, but questions that are still plaguing my mind after seeing this exhibition include... Who says which street artist has "made it"? The main venue for this art is in the street... What makes a sell-out anyway?... Why are so few of the L.A. up-and-coming street artists represented as part of this exhibit?... Why did the installations have to be over the top, disneyland-esque maze-rides?

Just some food for thought, I suppose. All in all, it is truly a show you cannot miss if you are in Southern California. Art in The Streets is up until August 8, 2011. Don't miss it. and please, share with us what you think.

April 06, 2011

Brandon Boyd wrap-around wall mural at the )( Space gallery in Costa Mesa, on view now until April 15th, 2011 (photo by Joanna Grasso)

There I was, Friday morning, hitting the road. I was flying back to the OC just in time to catch the much anticipated Brandon Boyd exhibition at the Hurley )( Space gallery. That's right, another collaboration between the local surf and clothing mega company and a high profile artist. I say much anticipated, but that is because only after researching the artist I became familiar with his celebrity status, beginning by making some calls. I needed local 'peep' consensus on this guy's coolness levels. Apparently, I'm too old or too far out of the music loop to have been giddy at the thought of meeting this cat on Saturday night. But the mere mention of his name brought a twinkle to the eyes of my 20-something OC crew, which in all honesty piqued my interest.

In a strange turn of events, the OC Art Blog's new photographer had to cancel on the gig. . . so there we were, Jennifer as co-pilot, toughing it out with hundreds (YES I said hundreds) of Incubus fans to get a peak at the man himself. Mr. Brandon Boyd. Oh yeah, and the artwork was there too.

As I rolled up to the gallery the tension was palpable. Doormen finally broke the mood by allowing those lucky first que makers inside to get a look at the wall to wall mural and buy some H.O.P.E. booty. Amist the bouncer/body guards the chatter was all about how Brandon did this, or how he feels that, or even what HE was try say with these new artworks.

I was fascinated by how much of a personal connection these people felt to the artist. While I was busy trying to figure out the island reference in the artwork I realized that I had never seen an art crowd this innamored with the artist. That is when it hit me, celebrity. Yeah I know, I was a little slow I'll admit (totally blaming the jet-lag) but it was intoxicating.

Adoring fans outside )( Space gallery

It wasn't the line wrapping around the building of fashionable gallery goers yearning to see the artwork, or the cute bartenders smiling as if they really were there to serve me, or even the pleasure of watching Jennifer eat those little tatter tot thingy-s that brought a twinkle to my eyes . . . it was the spectacle that entertained me most.

As Boyd decended into the gallery, a hush fell, then the clammer of cameras and flashes. A mob moved in around him as all eyes were fixed on the scene. As the blob (Boyd + Mob) made its' way past the sales counter and through the entry miraculously squeezing into the main gallery I was left virtually alone in the entrance gallery area. There I was, surrounded by t-shirts and works on paper. That's when it hit me, it was all about his celebrity. Brandon Boyd is famous. His lyrics have been pumping into the ear buds of these people for over a decade and this, this was his following. It is very noble that celebrities use their fame to shed light on national and global issues great and small, and even raise funds for otherwise forgotten causes. All wonderful and noteworthy. But does anyone else question the validity of public figures using their celebrity for product promotion even if the cause is noble? Sometimes I see the most amazing artists during my travels, artists whose work will never get a fraction of the recognition or platform that celebrity artwork receives. Okay, enough soap box.

I (and most likely 99% of my fellow gallery goers) was so entranced that I almost forgot. We are talking about art here. What about the artwork? Only one original drawing on the wall, the others looked like digital prints. The main gallery was covered with a wall-to-wall mural with text and imagery, which may or may not be a reference to the story of Jonah and the Whale of Christian, Islamic, and Judaic narratives. Waiting to hear back from Mr. Boyd himself to comment on this one. The works use heavy black graphic lines to delineate imagery that is largely decorative and flat blocks of color is used to ground some of the more fluid forms- reminds me of Japanese woodblock printing with a contemporary edge.

Now back to the spectacle. . .Once the artist had signed his fair share of autographs, chatted with guests, and posed for the appropriate number of pics he made his way back up the stairs to the refuge above. The room felt as if it let off a sigh of relief and anxious joy. Then the announcements came to CLEAR OUT from bouncers and the over-worked marketing staff . . . the next batch of fans were waiting to get it. We were spared, press does have a few perks.

Brandon Boyd greets his fans

Later I was told that the artist made at least three more rounds of this to meet and greet all the fans, but one round was enough for Jennifer and I gave-up our prime real estate to adoring fans to view the spectacle themselves.

We have been generously granted an interview with Mr. Boyd.

I'm interested in asking about some of his influences and I'm giving him the infamous loaded question of " how do you define art" just to shake things up a bit. Have anything you are itching to know??

Another Collaboration for HURLEY - This time they are working with Brandon Boyd and H.O.P.E. (Helping Other People Everywhere) to raise funds and bring awareness to conserving our oceans. If you haven't taken a walk on the beach in the early morning lately you should. While being surrounded by one of the most beautiful places in the world you would also see how immediate the problem is of non-biodegradable plastics washing up on OC's shores, just to bring it home for you, not to mention the global clean water issues that are at hand.

I'm told that attendees of the opening reception will get first crack at perusing Boyd's wall murals encompassing the main gallery and purchasing the t-shirts & water bottles with selected artworks, proceeds going towards H.O.P.E.'s programming, and otherwise available after April 25th at Buckle Store, on line, or at selected retailers.

As always, there will be an array of food and libations.

The OC Art Blog has also been offered a chance to interview artist/musician/surfer/activist Boyd so stay tuned for article.

Iconic surf brand Hurley announces a collaboration with musician, artist and activist Brandon Boyd, lyricist and lead singer of the band Incubus, on an exclusive art-inspired fashion collection benefiting H.O.P.E. (Helping Other People Everywhere).Brandon Boyd’s life is characterized by self-expression -- a fusion of art, music, writing, activism and surfing. His love of the ocean is often the catalyst in his efforts as an activist, and this collaboration was no exception.

A multi-talented visual artist who works in a variety of mediums, Boyd took to his sketchbook for this project. His watercolor and ink drawings result in imagery that is both beautiful and subtly stirring. These designs are featured on the Hurley collaboration shirts.

"My relationship with Hurley began over a decade ago and was born of a mutual appreciation for surfing, music, art and like minds. We have done projects together in the past but it seemed like it was time we truly put our collective heads together to make a real dent in a situation that affects us all, most importantly the swiftly growing problems in our oceans. We start herein as surfers and musicians, and are moving forward as stewards of our Island," says Boyd about his longstanding relationship with Hurley and his mission behind the creative collaboration.

A portion of the sales from the limited edition collection, available at Buckle nationwide, specialty retailers and online at Hurley.com beginning April 1, 2011, will benefit HOPE, a 501(c)3 non-profit focused on involving artists and their contributions in campaigns, programs and events to support existing social projects that promote education and peace around the world.

Hurley will celebrate the launch of the Brandon Boyd collection with an art show featuring the original works the collection is based upon. Boyd will paint a mural on a wall of the Hurley )( SPACE gallery for the show. The event, which is open to the public, will take place on Saturday, April 2nd from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM at the Hurley )( SPACE Gallery (1945 Placentia Avenue, Costa Mesa, CA 92627).

About Hurley

Founded in 1999, Hurley is an authentic “Microphone for Youth” brand rooted in surf, skate, art, music and beach cultures. Driven by creativity and freedom of expression, Hurley develops world-class products for guys, girls and kids, including sportswear, footwear, eyewear, accessories, loungewear, swimwear and wetsuits. A wholly owned, independently run subsidiary of Nike, Inc., Hurley’s corporate headquarters are located in Costa Mesa, CA, with international offices in Tokyo, Sydney, Barcelona and Bali. www.hurley.com

About H.O.P.E.

H.O.P.E. (Helping Other People Everywhere) is a project of H.O.P.E. Events Inc. H.O.P.E. is an energy conscious 501(c) 3 non-profit focused on involving artists and their contributions in campaigns, programs and events to support existing social projects that promote education and peace around the world http://hopecampaign.org/

January 15, 2011

When one of OC's most generous and infamous families calls a meeting, we attend. A big a announcement was coming and refreshments were thrown in to entice hungry writers to the scene. After grumbling about paying $8 to park I moseyed over to the first free food and drink station and proceeded to up my sugar intake for the week. They sure know how to throw a party. Live music, free donuts, fireworks and even good old Schwarzenegger came out of retirement for the event.

Lots of suits and tension filled the outdoor area between buildings at the now defunct, and BTW entirely funded by private initiative, Orange County Performing Arts Center. That's right, there is a new name in town, the "Segerstrom Center for the Arts," new logo and all.

The new name is perhaps auspice to change and honors one of (if not) THE most art-minded philanthropic Orange County families, The Segerstroms.

With the abundance of money, affluence, and fair weather we are so very fortunate to enjoy in the OC- when it comes to culture it seems that the few and the brave stand and deliver. . . while the rest retreat to Fashion Island for happy hour and a little touch-up.

To show that they mean business, the Segerstrom Center for the Arts will be offering 10,000 tickets to performances for the upcoming 25th anniversary season at only $10 bucks each, in addition to bringing a number of international groups to the OC, the first of which a collaboration between the center and the Bolshoi Ballet.

This group show presented works from emerging artists working largely in the conceptual realm hinged on art critic Craig Owen's ideas of transience and fragmentation via allegorical referents utilized in contemporary art practices. You can read more about art history professor and critic Craig Owen's theories in the essays published in the early 1980s entitled "The Allegorical Impulse: Toward a Theory of Postmodernism" (two parts).

The show itself had quite a nice turn out and was heavy on the digital media side. Fancy food was prepared by a team of hipsters with very cool hair. Salmon (consume seen here on the right) was the theme, although I have to admit I was not as brave as my companions and passed on the consume in exchange for long look at the heart-y Pulse Show by Rafael Lozano-Hemmer.

After a short interlude, we went back into the UAG for a closer look at the show. Melting ice, old school tape recorders, and racy videos really activated the space. Jennifer and I found ourselves discussing the draw of new media in contemporary art practices today, and wondered if there are many of you out there that are mystified by their often obtuse nature.

Do you get it?

We would love to hear from you, so drop us a line.

In addition to artists Miles Ake, Katie Ammons, Ping-Hsiang Chen, Giulio Frigo, Tatiana Istomina, Brennan Gerard & Ryan Kelly, Leigh Ledare, Marilyn Lowey, Ash Eliza Smith, Nico Vascellari, Jesse Wine. . . there it was, the now infamous David Wojnarowicz film from 1987 titled A Fire in My Belly. This is the film that was banned from the National Portrait Gallery's very recent, in fact on going, "Hide/Seek: Difference and Desire in American Portraiture" exhibition. It's hard to believe that in 2011 we are still discussing censorship issues of this nature. In silent protest, UCI and many other institutions, galleries and organizations are showing Wojnarowicz's film.

Go see it, you will be shocked at how un-shocking it all is. IN PARTICULAR being exhibited right next to the provocative and almost pornographic family video portraits of Leigh Ledare (seen here just below) in the UAG.

Our guide and personal GPS artist Dorothy Phan, also one of the organizers of the Catalyst Gallery, got us over to the Room Gallery where the installations of Nico Vascellari (video) and Tatiana Istomina (portraits) almost over-powered Giulio Frigo's cross section of ribbons dividing up the space and placing the viewer in the middle akwardville. . . whether conscious of it or not.

Go see the shows, they are worth the trip up to UCI. There will be a performance by Brennan Gerard and Ryan Kelly on February 5th, 5-8pm, last night of the show so get it in your calendars.

Cult of the Ruin: Strategies of Accumulation features 12 emerging artists from the U.S. and Europe working in video, performance, sculpture, installation, watercolor and food. What binds these disparate projects is the persistence of appropriation, re-enactment, material accretion – as strategies – to address the perceived gap between records of the past and our present experiences. Over 20 years have passed since critic Craig Owens posited this gap as a site for allegory. In doing so, Owens defined a branch of postmodern art practice by the artist’s allegorical “impulse” to return to outmoded forms and systems – or ruins – to reinvigorate their contemporary value. Taken together, the works in this exhibition evince contemporary deviations from his original theory. And yet, their re-making of Owens’ allegorical impulse keeps the original theory alive.

January 05, 2011

Opening Reception this week & - Art Crawl Experience (ACE) FEB 12, 5-11pm & there is still time to get involved!!

Check out the hoping downtown Anaheim's art district. This weekend Rothick Art Haus will be presenting a new show "Subtle Nudges" on Saturday night. In February Christina Sanchez's Le Modern Trinket will be participating in the Art Crawl Experience (ACE) Indie Arts and Crafts Fair on Feb 12th, 5-11pm with live music, food, and of course ART! If you would like to participate in the indie arts and crafts fair there is still time. See below for contact info.

Here is all the info to get you there:

Rothick art haus presents “Subtle Nudges”“Subtle Nudges” debuts artwork by Joshua Lawyer in the main gallery and also introducing artwork by guest artist Prince James Alexander PariseOpening: January 8th 7pm-11pmRuns: January 8 - January 31, 2010

Here is what Christina is looking for in participants!!!

Stationary, clothing and accessories, plush toys, couture for our four legged friends, housewares, jewelry, artwork, ceramics, photography and gourmet edibles. If you are a handmade vendor and or artist and interested in being part of A.C.E please contact:

November 26, 2010

A few days ago I had the pleasure of meeting Christina Sanchez, the inexhaustible founder and artistic drive behind the OC's handmade vintage upcylcled jewelry design company Le Modern Trinket.

We (me and Trouble that is) were invited over to Christina's studio late Tuesday evening, under the guise of getting an up-close and personal look at where the magic all happens and we wanted a preview to the sale this weekend, Sunday Nov 28th in Santa Ana at the Patchwork - Indie Arts and Crafts Festival.

Get your wallets ladies, lots of goodies.

Dangly ear bobbles and eye catching necklaces galore!

These portable collages will be a big hit either out with the girls, spicing up that lbd at the company christmas party, or under the tree. Each piece is uniquely fashioned almost entirely from vintage resources such as old 1940s photos, catholic rosary beads, delicate yet out-moded gold watches, buttons, and beads. There is something for everyone here.

Christina says some of her influences are the Bauhaus movement, Surrealism and everyone's favorite Marcel Duchamp for his ground-breaking use of ready-mades and bringing found/industrial objects into the gallery. Each piece is a portable work of art and referents of love, compassion and even industrialization can be found in each one of these nostalagic trinkets.

For those of you with jobs that just don't quite fit, take inspiration from Christina. She is a self-taught jewelry entreprenuer and loves every minute of it. Her studio was once her garage and she just can't make the pieces quick enough for demand. Go follow your dream, or at least have some fun!

Why is it that we have fetishized the turkey? It gets eaten predominantly during the holidays, stuffed, roasted, brined, marinated, bagged, fried and even bbq-ed. It is the quintessential center piece to all festive tables and even has it's own special accessories for serving, eating and preparing.

Not that I am a huge proponant of eating the big bird, just wondering what happens to them the rest of the year? Anyway. . . back to regularly scheduled programming.

Patchwork Festival, Santa Ana, CA

If you are tired of looking for parking at the mall, drive yourself over to Santa Ana and check out the Patchwork Indie Arts and Crafts Festival this Sunday. Besides getting the opportunity to enjoy the sun (dare say) outside, this is the best place to check things off your christmas shopping list.

Over 70 local artists and artisans selling their one-of-a-kind goodies, not to mention some cool Harvey's bags. Check out the article posted on jewelry savant Christina Sanchez, she'll be there on Sunday.Did I mention it was FREE? Bring the kids, they have a craft booth. Bring your appetite because the food trucks rock. Support your local artist and buy cool stuff. What more can you ask for on a Sunday afternoon??

September 24, 2010

This week, the Americans for the Arts Action Fund graded our U.S. senators on their support of the arts. While 28 members received a failing grade, both California Senators Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein did well with Boxer receiving an A+ and Feinstein a B+. Criteria used to grade senators included: keeping jobs in the arts, supporting public art, supporting museums, showing initiative in the arts by cosponsoring arts legislation, showing leadership in the arts by signing the "Dear Colleague Letter" for more funding for the NEA (National Endowment for the Arts) and more.

Some of the 28 who received a failing grade were John McCain (AZ-R), John Ensign (NV-R) Mitch McConnell (KY-R) and Lindsay Graham (SC-R).

March 05, 2009

Today I was contacted by Luis De Jesus from Seminal Projects who informed me that he applied to enter artLA last spring and that he paid the $2,000 refundable deposit required by Artfairs, Inc. Well it seems Seminal Projects did not make it into the fair and according to Luis they still have not been paid back their $2,000 refundable deposit. He also mentioned that Tim Fleming has left Artfairs, Inc., and Luis alleges that Tim mentioned that there were other galleries also calling trying to get their deposits back.

Does anybody else know about this?

I'm well aware that in the very opaque art world, art fair participation is very important to the success of a gallery. So it would make sense that maybe there are multiple galleries out there that are owed money by Artfairs, Inc. but are afraid to go on record like Luis, because they don't want to ruin a future opportunity to participate in future fairs produced by Art Fairs, Inc.